Return-Path: <linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org>
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand
        id <S129595AbQK3SpF>; Thu, 30 Nov 2000 13:45:05 -0500
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org
        id <S129539AbQK3Soy>; Thu, 30 Nov 2000 13:44:54 -0500
Received: from vger.timpanogas.org ([207.109.151.240]:16 "EHLO
        vger.timpanogas.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP
        id <S130873AbQK3SZ5>; Thu, 30 Nov 2000 13:25:57 -0500
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 11:43:49 -0700
From: "Jeff V. Merkey" <jmerkey@vger.timpanogas.org>
To: Christopher Friesen <cfriesen@nortelnetworks.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Fasttrak100 questions...
Message-ID: <20001130114349.A12564@vger.timpanogas.org>
In-Reply-To: <8voa7g$d1r$1@forge.tanstaafl.de> <Pine.LNX.4.21.0011291152500.5109-100000@sol.compendium-tech.com> <20001129210830.J17523@forge.tanstaafl.de> <20001129165236.A9536@vger.timpanogas.org> <3A266EE7.4C734350@nortelnetworks.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
X-Mailer: Mutt 1.0.1i
In-Reply-To: <3A266EE7.4C734350@nortelnetworks.com>; from cfriesen@nortelnetworks.com on Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 10:14:47AM -0500
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org

On Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 10:14:47AM -0500, Christopher Friesen wrote:
> "Jeff V. Merkey" wrote:
> > 
> > On Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 09:08:30PM +0100, Henning P . Schmiedehausen wrote:
> 
> > > I use heavily patched kernels with lots of inhouse-stuff on a regular
> > > base for my inhouse use and there is _no_ way for you to even get a
> > > glimpse at it.  I don't give this to anyone, it's all just my personal
> > > stuff.
> > 
> > Depending on the terms of your use of the code, the Copyright holder
> > can obtain an order compelling you to hand over the code from a
> > State or US District Court Judge, if you are using it under the terms
> > of the GPL and fail to provide the modifications upon request, and you
> > are shown to be "converting" business opportunities to your own
> > benefit with it, GPL or no.
> 
> I think you should re-read the GPL.  You only have to provide source to
> people to whome you have distributed your new binaries, and you only
> have to provide that source if you are asked for it.  If you have some
> code that you have written that is based on GPL'd code, and you are the
> only person that ever runs the binaries, then there is no obligation for
> you to make your code available to anybody.

Depends on what terms the code is provided under.  Using GPL code in a 
for profit enterprise and distributing it to customers does require 
that the changes be provided upon request.  I have read the GPL, and 
I've had a lot of lawyers around here read and analyze it too. 

:-)

Jeff

> 
> Only once you distribute the software to others do you have to make the
> code available, and even then you only have to make it available to
> those who have the binaries.  Of course, they can then turn around and
> do whatever they feel like with it, but thats a different issue.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Chris Friesen                    | MailStop: 043/33/F10  
> Nortel Networks                  | work: (613) 765-0557
> 3500 Carling Avenue              | fax:  (613) 765-2986
> Nepean, ON K2H 8E9 Canada        | email: cfriesen@nortelnetworks.com
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/